Hry approves corporation on lines of DMRC to run, build Metro network in state

The body is being set up on the lines of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which is a joint venture between the Delhi government and the Centre

The Haryana government has officially approved the proposal for equal ownership of the upcoming Gurugram Metro Rail Limited (GMRL) with the Government of India, according to documents seen by HT.

GMRL will execute the Gurugram Metro extension project from Millennium City Centre to Cyber City Gurugram. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

The body is being set up on the lines of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which is a joint venture between the Delhi government and the Centre. The corporation builds and manages the network in the national capital.

According to the order issued by the additional chief secretary, Arun Kumar Gupta, Town and Country Planning Department, Haryana, the GMRL will get an initial authorised capital of ₹20 crore out of which Haryana will hold a 50% share at ₹10 crore.

The order also nominated the shareholders on behalf of the Haryana government — administrative secretaries and in-charges of the DTCP and finance departments, the GMRL managing director and the chief executive officer of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA).

The order issued by Gupta on January 25 said: “Pursuant to the sanction accorded by the government of India for implementation of metro connectivity from Millenium City centre to Cyber Hub Gurugram with a spur to Dwarka expressway, and for the formation of GMRL as 50:50 jointly owned company of Government of Haryana and Government of India, which shall function as special purpose vehicle (SPV) for smooth implementation of the project, the state government hereby accords approval for the formation of ‘GMRL’ jointly owned by GOI and GOH.”

The Union cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Gurugram Metro extension project that would cover the entire old Gurugram on June 7, 2023. It also approved a 1.85km spur to the Dwarka expressway. The cost of the project has been pegged at ₹5,452 crore. This will be a standard gauge line of 1,435 mm (5 feet, 8.5 inches) and will accommodate 27 elevated stations.

The order added that the managing director of GMRL would be the same as the Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation Limited (HMRTC) who shall also be one of the directors of the special purpose vehicle on behalf of the Haryana government. The other directors will be the administrative secretary and in charge of DTCP, the CEO of GMDA and the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram commissioner.

Last month, Haryana chief secretary Sanjeev Kaushal said the government has sent a proposal for the formation of the Haryana Metro Rail Corporation, wherein a secretary-level officer from the Government of India will be appointed as the chairperson, while an officer from the Haryana government will serve as managing director.

“We are expecting approval soon on this. The work on the Gurugram metro project is high on the agenda of the government and you will see action soon,” Kaushal said on January 12.

The project was first conceived in 2017 but has been in the pipeline since then. The project was delayed due to multiple changes in the route alignment and delay in the finalisation of the detailed project report (DPR). Residents of the city have been demanding metro rail in Gurugram for several years as they have been dependent on private cars in the absence of a quality mass transport system.